Cops: Driver put kids at risk during police chase

A 31-year-old man has been charged after he eluded police following a high-speed chase Wednesday while his children were in his pickup with him. The white F-150 Ford pickup was later discovered in Sealy, but the man remains at large and his children have not been found.

Noe Soto-Aranda is charged with assault of a family member, endangering a child and evading arrest, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police said the chase began about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday along the Southwest Freeway feeder road near Westpark when officers spotted a man fighting with a woman inside a pickup.

Soto allegedly shoved his pregnant wife out of the pickup and drove away with the children-ages 3 through 9-in the truck with him.
Soto raced along the freeway with officers following him and the officers lost sight of him near Richmond and Rosenberg.

His truck was discovered abandoned in Sealy, but Soto-Aranda and his children have not been found. An Amber Alert has not been issued for the children because they left with their father and no evidence indicates they are in danger, police said.

Noe-Aranda’s wife was not hurt in the confrontation with her husband. She told police he hadn’t harmed their children in the past and doesn’t believe he would, HPD officials said.

Soto-Aranda is also wanted on an unrelated evading arrest charge from Pearland, police said. According to KTRK, he is wanted by ICE for an immigration violation and his record includes a domestic violence offense.